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The form matching best with the species description. This is a low-growing evergreen Solomon Seal ally from China and has a more refined look than other forms of this species which we grow. Nice white flowers with a bit of caramel amber added and purplish fruit that follows.
Tall 3'-4' wiry stems hold pendant and swaying pink bells in June on this evergreen South African bulbous Iris relative. Dierama pendulum was the first species to be found back in 1770 on the Eastern Cape by the busy German botanist Thunberg. This makes a good garden plant and requires minimal attention. Sun and average water,
One look at the stalky clumping habit and jagged pinnate leaves of this species and you’d say it was a dead ringer for a Rhus or Aralia. One look at the wafer-like fruits and you’d say dead ringer for an Elm or if you were a real botanical nut Ptelea. Yet like the mighty platypus is neither duck nor otter this is something altogether, a rare member of the maple family improbably enough! In addition to its alluring oddity the winged red fruits held in large clusters of pairs, red blushed petioles, and extremely quick growth make it a not-half-bad ornamental species as well. Virtually unknown in the US but doing well in the UK so at least Zone 8 hardy if not more, large shrub to small tree.
This evergreen Solomon Seal lookalike represents a rare introduction from Taiwan by our friends at Crug Farm. Originally described as the new species, taiwanensis in 1989, this was sunk into the Chinese species pernyi by Govaerts in 2000. We could live with that if it was pernyi var. taiwanensis to indicate its unique geographical provenance. Pretty cool either way.
Choice species making narrow thin clumps of evergreen grassy foliage and long wiry stems with many small pendant dark pink-purple bell-shaped flowers. A plant of open grassland in South Africa, this likes a sunny position in a soil that drains but retains moisture.
Yunnan Honeysuckle. We saw this plant on the edge of the woods while hiking up to the Gangheba valley. It was an attractive small tree with 2-3 narrow trunks to about about 12' high. It has tubular-pouchy cream flowers flushed lightly in pink with a rich orange throat and attractive, widely winged seeds. Yunnan Weigela might be a better common name.
This has grown into one of our favorite small deciduous shrubs which we grow near our bog garden. Collected in China on the Sino-British Expedition to Cangshan in 1981 which was one of the first western botanic expeditions to China in modern times. Copious pink-white flowers on a 4'-6' tall shrub. Zone 6 at least.
Young plants of this extremely rare species which we speculate will have only light frost tolerance so perhaps good for zones 9-10. Evergreen bold leaves bringing to mind an unholy union between a laurel and a rhododendron. Insignificant flowers at a relatively young age. A number of novel alkaloids have been isolated from this species if this makes up in any way for the lack of showy flowers. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering
A collection by Aaron Floden that ticks many of the boxes for the species brachystemon but this has not yet been verified. The anticipation is keen indeed! The green-cream flowers in terminal groupings of 3-5 show well and even as buds entice in the nascent olive green shoots. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering
This is a clone from a wild collection in China which came to us from a friend and we have finally a few to offer. Evergreen leaves in our climate looking a lot like a Solomon Seal with similar white bells in spring. In all respects, this is quite similar to the clone we have from Washfield Nursery but if you are at all like us then you are obsessed with genetic diversity so bring on the clones! It is not a bad idea anyway as it usually helps with pollination to have more than one clone and the lavender fruits offer a subtle attraction in the shade garden later in the season. We clip the old stems off in spring as the new starts to grow and this likes a moist rich soil but will tolerate drier conditions with an occasional deep drink.
Our Asian collection of this seductively compelling woodland species. All parts in all stages have a synchronicity of poised loveliness that binds the gaze to that moment slowing time and pace allowing one to absorb beauty be it a nascent unfurling, ornament of purplish bells, refinement of green or understated black pearls.
A collection from the mountains of northern Luzon in the Philippines by the folks at Crug Farm. This has the same evergreen nature as the other species with arching Solomon Seal-esque stems to 16", narrow elliptic leaves, white flowers and purplish fruit. This is a good grower for mild gardens, rare of course. We haven't tried it outside yet so let us know how it handles the winters.
Our most vigorous clone of this species which we collected in Sichuan in 2006. This will fill out a pot in no time and will do equally well in the garden. The day we found this is memorable because that evening we stayed in a hotel where we had to sleep with the lights on because every time we turned off the lights, numerous rats would scurry out from their home in our built-in bed and rustle about through our gear. When we turned on the lights, they would all dash back under and into our bed. Fortunately they kept to their level of the bed and we kept to ours but it was not the best of nights. This is a good evergreen perennial with whitish flowers with light purplish interiors and best in shade that doesn't dry out.
From a Crug Farm collection comes this rare woodlander. We are smitten by all the members of this genus as well as it's kith and kin in other genera. This has the pendulous greenish white flowers so familiar yet so intriguing. A shade garden bereft Convallariaceae quietly weeps.
Poet's or Alexandrian Laurel. Panache oozes from the phylloclades of this haute shade shrub. Before you get nervous, phylloclades are leaf-like organs of modified stem tissue as this nonpareil evergreen is so far beyond the cutting edge that true leaves are just so yesterday. Small green flowers to delight a microscopist, showy red berries in fall. Imagine wearing this crown of laurel in ancient Greece after winning the marathon. I can visualize the wearing but am having a bit of difficulty focusing on the running part. Now if it was a weeding marathon, I would have to say, let's get it on! These aren't big plants that you will get by any means as they are slow to go but we have gotten the painfully slow beginning out of the way so it is all good from here. You can't go unless you start.
Classic spring epehemeral of the eastern woodlands with ferny foliage in early spring and white flowers in March. This will go dormant by late spring and is an excellent little plant to grow on top of later growing shade loving lily species or Arisaemas so that you get double duty out of the same planting spot.
A seldom-encountered Dianthus which hails from the mountains in South Africa where it is commonly known as the Drakensberg Carnation or if you are truly local, Hiokoa-La-Tsela. Apparently the local indigenous use this medicinally as well as in magic - we can't speak to the efficacy of the former but we can say we are transported briefly to another realm when this flowers. Nice pink flowers on slowly spreading mats which is best suited for the rock garden. Good drainage in full sun and hardy to zone 7 and possibly lower.
February Daphne. Narrow upright small shrub whose bare branches are clad in early spring with lots lavender pink flowers. The light blue green leaves appear after the flowers are done and all in all is very desireable plant. These are small starter plants which will settle right in.
We are mad about Dactylorhiza which are the coolest hardy terrestrial (grows in the ground) orchids and very easy to grow. These are rare mondo big seed-grown plants from Dactylorhiza fuchsii 'Bressingham Bonus' grown for us by plantswoman extraordinaire Claire Cockroft. Pink.
The best seedling from a cross Robin White made between Daphne acutiloba and Daphne sericea 'Collina' with acutiloba as the seed parent although the pollen parent dominates the characteristics. Robin authored a monograph on Daphne and is a genius breeder and nurseryman with impossibly high standards. Goodson is his mothers maiden name so quality is a given in the low, open domed plant with fragrant, dusky pink flowers.